Wallet



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Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to wallets. More particularly my invention relates to an improved construction for pocket wallets, in which there is provided a secret compartment.

One of thB"ObjECCS QLIDLiQYEQfiQI'I is to provide an improved pocket wallet construction of the character described, having a secret compartment which is so designed that it may be partially withdrawn or completely disassembled from the wallet so that it may be used as a separate wallet itself.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved pocket wallet construction of the character described, which shall have relatively few and simple parts, which shall be easy to assemble, which shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which at the same time. shall be highly effective for the purpose intended.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing. in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a pocket wallet constructed in accordance with my invention. shown in unfolded condition and having portions of theouter wall broken away to disclose the interior construction;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the use thereof when the secret compartment has been completely withdrawn from the wallet. and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the secret compartment member after it has been withdrawn from the wallet.

Referring now in detail to the drawing. there is disclosed a pocket wallet constructed in accordance with my invention and comprising generally a back wall l0 and a front wall II, the said walls being permanently joined at the end transverse edges thereof by any suitable means. such as for example, the rows of stitching 12. The said walls l0 and i I may be integrally joined at the longitudinal bottom edge thereof by the portion Hi. It is noted that the front wall II is of lesser height than the back wall l0 and that the wallet thus formed is open at the top, as shown at A in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Overlying the front wall I i are the layers l5 and I6 disposed on opposite sides of the vertical fold line of the wallet and are so arranged as to provide suitable pocket compartments for the storing of business cards, licenses and similar documents, in the customary manner well known in the art.

In accordance with my invention I have provided a secret compartment member 20 shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing and which will now be described. The compartment member 20 may comprise a pair of adjacently disposed coextensive walls 2| and 22 of slightly less length than the walls l0 and II, which are permanently joined at the transverse edges by the stitching 23 and at one longitudinal edge by the row of stitching. There is thus formed a pocket which is open at longitudinal edge, said opening being designated as B. Extending below the closed transverse edge of the secret compartment 20 is a tape 28 which may be permanently joined to the said compartment by the row of stitching 24. Mounted on the tape 26 are a row of slide fastener elements 21 terminating at one end with a suitable stop member 28 and at the opposite end with a member 29 designed to receive a slider. The secret compartment member 20 is mounted in the wallet in the following manner:

Attached to the inturned free edge Illa of the back wall I0 is a tape 30 similar to the tape 26. The said tape 30 is disposed so as to overly the inner surface of the walls I0 and may be attached by any suitable means, such as for example a row of stitching 3|. Fixed to the free longitudinal edge of the tape 30 is a row of slide fastener elements 32 designed to cooperate with the slide fastener elements 21. The fastener elements 21 terminate at one end thereof with a stop member 33 similar to the stop member 28 and at the opposite end thereof with a member 34 designed to cooperate with the member 29 and with a slider member 35. The said slider 35 may be of usual construction and of the type designed so that the cooperating slide fastener elements 21 and 32 may be completely separated from each other throughout their length.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the secret compartment 20 is placed within the wallet between the walls I 0 and H and by means of slider member 35 the cooperating fastener elements 21 and 32 are joined so that the secret compartment 20 is disposed within the wallet with its opening B adjacent the bottom edge H of the wallet. In

this position, the wallet will appear as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, where it is noted that articles may be inserted in the wallet through the top opening A to be disposed between the inner surface of the wall II and the wall 2| of the secret compartment 2!].

When the slider member 35 is moved from the position shown in Fig. l to the position as shown in Fig. 3, the secret compartment member 20 may be entirely withdrawn from the wallet if desired. as shown in Fig. 4 and articles either taken out or inserted through its opening B. If desired, the secret compartment B may also be utilized as a separate thin wallet member. However, in accordance with my invention, the construction of the wallet is such that the secret compartment 20 need not be completely detached from the wallet but the slider 35 and the cooperating members 29 and 34 may be designed as stop members, similar to the members 28 and 33 so that the fastener elements 21 and 32 may be separated substantially throughout the entire length thereof but not completely severed. In such case, the secret compartment 20 may be pivotally swung out of the wallet to obtain access to the opening 13. In such latter case it is also noted, from Fig. 2 of the drawing. that when the fastener elements 2'! and 32 are separated, access may be had to a storage space within the wallet formed by the inner surface of the wall It] and the outer surface of the wall 22 of the secret compartment 20. It is noted that when the above storage space is revealed the secrecy of the compartment 20 i still maintained.

The walls 10 and H of the main wallet, together with the layers 15 and I6, as Well as the walls 2| and 22 of the secret compartment 20 may be of any suitable material generally employed in making pocket wallets, such as for example leather or imitation leather.

While in the drawing I have illustrated my invention as applied to the type of pocket wallet which is folded substantially midway between its length, it is understood that the wallet of my invention may be satisfactorily constructed so that it may be folded in three parts, or if desired, the said folds may be disposed at any spaced point between the transverse ends thereof.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination. a main pocket wallet, an auxiliary pocket wallet nested within said main Wallet, said auxiliary wallet being adapted to divide said main wallet into two compartments, and means comprising a slide fastener for attaching said auxiliary wallet to said main wallet, said means being disposed adjacent the entrance to said main pocket wallet so as to optionally bar access to one of said compartments.

2. In combination, a main pocket wallet, an

auxiliary pocket wallet nested within said main wallet, said auxiliary wallet being adapted to divide said main wallet into two compartments, and releasable means for attaching said auxiliary wallet to said main wallet, said means being disposed adjacent the opening of said main wallet and remote from the opening of said auxiliary wallet so as to optionally bar access to One of said compartments.

3. In a wallet, a front wall, a back wall, said walls being joined at three of their adjacently disposed edges leaving one set of edges unattached to provide access to the interior of the wallet, a secret compartment member comprising a pair of walls joined at three of their adjacently disposed edges leaving one set of edges unattached to provide access to the interior thereof, said secret compartment opening being disposed adjacent one set of said joined edges of said wallet, and means comprising a slide fastener for attaching said secret compartment member to said wallet, said means being disposed adjacent the entrance to said wallet.

4. In a wallet, a front wall, a back wall, said walls being joined at three of their adjacently disposed edges leaving one set of edges unattached to provide access to the interior of the wallet, an independent secret compartment member comprising a pair of walls joined at three of their adjacently disposed edges leaving one set of edges unattached to provide access to the interior thereof, said secret compartment opening being disposed adjacent one set of joined edges of said wallet, and means disposed at the entrance to said wallet for detachably securing said secret compartment member to said wallet.

5. In a wallet construction of the character described, the combination of a main wallet member comprising a pair of walls permanently 'joined at the bottom and sides and open at the top thereof. a secret compartment member nested within said main wallet and comprising a pair of walls joined at the top and sides and open at the bottom thereof, said secret compartment member being adapted to divide said main wallet into two compartments and means disposed at the entrance to said wallet for attaching said secret compartment member to said main wallet, said last named means including means for partially detaching said secret compartment from said main wallet to optionally gain access to one of said compartments.

6. In a wallet, a front wall, a back wall, said walls being joined at three of their adjacently disposed edges leaving one set of edges unattached to provide access to the interior of the wallet, a secret compartment member comprising a pair o'f'WfiTsToind at three of their adjacently disposed edges leaving one set of edges unattached to provide access to the interior thereof, said secret compartment opening being disposed adjacent one set of joined edges of said wallet,

nimeensfonaiiac i g said sscreiucpm iment .I

member to saidwallettfiif last named means comprising a row of slide fastener elements on said back wall of said wallet and a cooperating row of slide fastener elements on said secret compartment member, said rows of slide fastener elements being disposed adjacent the said wallet opening.

PHILIP FLORIN. 

